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Count of Monte Cristo Chap. 35 thru 39
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Isn't it fun when you learn things like that? I'm always learning new things about my city.
I had to look up the word mazzolata. Luckily, I found a German wiki entry, and asked Andreas to translate the one word I didn't know. It was not a pleasant way to die.
I just loved the chapter during carnival! A lot of action, and a lot of Edmond's philosophical take on life and mankind, too.
Is carnival in Rome still like that (minus the carriages)?
Is carnival in Rome still like that (minus the carriages)?
Does anyone think that the Count orchestrated the abduction? I can't imagine that Vampa didn't know who Albert was. It certainly had the effect the Count was planning on.
"I accept," said the Count. "I assure you that I was only waiting for this opportunity to carry out some plans that I have been considering for a long while."
"I accept," said the Count. "I assure you that I was only waiting for this opportunity to carry out some plans that I have been considering for a long while."
A question for Kim:
In the beginning of chapter 39, the narrator describes Albert de Morcerf's lodge, or pavillion. At one point the reader is told of a well concealed little door. "This sly little door [...] cocked a snook at the concierge, escaping both his vigilance and his jurisdiction.
cocked a snook, a great bit of British English! In the US we would say "thumbed its nose" to mean the same thing. I am most curious if you know the French phrase for this one!
In the beginning of chapter 39, the narrator describes Albert de Morcerf's lodge, or pavillion. At one point the reader is told of a well concealed little door. "This sly little door [...] cocked a snook at the concierge, escaping both his vigilance and his jurisdiction.
cocked a snook, a great bit of British English! In the US we would say "thumbed its nose" to mean the same thing. I am most curious if you know the French phrase for this one!
I'll take the Italian, too, Hayes!

Cette petite porte .... se moquait du concierge ....
The verb "se moquer de" can have different meanings, but the closest to "thumbing a nose" or "cocking a snook" would be "to ignore" or "to disregard".
There is a colloquial expression equivalent to "thumb one's nose", which is "faire un pied de nez" - something like "foot the nose", but that's not the expression used in the text.
I love the phrase, cocking a snook!
Jeannette wrote: "Does anyone think that the Count orchestrated the abduction? I can't imagine that Vampa didn't know who Albert was. It certainly had the effect the Count was planning on.
"I accept," said the Co..."
Oh, I never thought of that - but that does make a lot of sense.
"I accept," said the Co..."
Oh, I never thought of that - but that does make a lot of sense.
The Count/SInbad seems to be in all of the details.
Jeannette wrote: "I just loved the chapter during carnival! A lot of action, and a lot of Edmond's philosophical take on life and mankind, too.
Is carnival in Rome still like that (minus the carriages)?"
No, not at all. I mentioned in another section something about carnevale, which has become a Halloween spin-off here in Rome. In other cities it's more "traditional", Venice and Viareggio are the biggies: Venice for the costumes and masks (and the location, obviously) and Viareggio for the floats:

often with a political theme:
Is carnival in Rome still like that (minus the carriages)?"
No, not at all. I mentioned in another section something about carnevale, which has become a Halloween spin-off here in Rome. In other cities it's more "traditional", Venice and Viareggio are the biggies: Venice for the costumes and masks (and the location, obviously) and Viareggio for the floats:

often with a political theme:

I love it! Except for New Orleans, we don't really do carnival in the US. But, Fasching is still a big deal in Germany!
Jeannette, I think the Count orchestrated the abduction. There's no way his friend the bandit would not have recognized his carriage.
I think so, too. It certainly makes him look like the hero!
I have finally finished 31-34... took forever. Let's see how much I can read this evening before falling asleep.
It's already getting late, so good luck! If I read this in bed, I'd be up until 1am. I might finish it if I did! lol
I've become narcoleptic in my old age. Not even a good book will keep me awake anymore.
p 416:
hahahaha! The French and the Italians do hate each other's cooking.
... he was paying the meal the compliment one would expect from a man who has been condemned for four or five months to suffer Italian cooking (which is among the worst in the world).
hahahaha! The French and the Italians do hate each other's cooking.
Well, don't ask Andreas about French cooking, either! lol
Chapter 37: The Catacombs of Saint Sebastian.
My son was baptized at the church of Saint Sebastian (we live nearby, so it's the parish church). It's gorgeous inside. Will look for a photo.
ETA: http://www.catacombe.org/uk_index.html
This is the ceiling:
My son was baptized at the church of Saint Sebastian (we live nearby, so it's the parish church). It's gorgeous inside. Will look for a photo.
ETA: http://www.catacombe.org/uk_index.html
This is the ceiling:

Another question for y'all:
p 473-4:
Are the blackbirds referring to a specific family, or specific heraldry device? Or was it just a fictitious example?
Thre's no footnote, so it's probably just an example, but I thought I'd ask.
p 473-4:
'Take no notice, Morcerf,' Debray said offhandedly. 'Get married. You will be marrying the label on a moneybag, won't you? So what does it matter? Better that the label should have one more nought and one less shield on it. There are seven blackbirds on your own coat of arms: well, you can give three to your wife and still have four left for yourself...'
Are the blackbirds referring to a specific family, or specific heraldry device? Or was it just a fictitious example?
Thre's no footnote, so it's probably just an example, but I thought I'd ask.

That sounds right, Susanna. Thanks.

Morcerf bought a family history to go with his title, as well as becoming French. At least Danglers stayed Danglers.

I was just talking with Ivan about Penzance! :)

funny! We love the Kline film, which finally is back on dvd. The first time we watched it, we almost turned it off. It gets better with repeated viewings.
I think the first play we took Lea to was a local production of My Fair Lady. Then we saw CATS in London when she was 5. I don't think she remembers much about it.
I think the first play we took Lea to was a local production of My Fair Lady. Then we saw CATS in London when she was 5. I don't think she remembers much about it.

I never thought of the Count orchestrating the abduction – until he said something himself about his carriage, at which point I got suspicious. Vampa's not stupid, and he knows which side his bread is buttered on – he would absolutely know the Count's carriage. It was almightily convenient for His Countship – in fact, the more I think about it the more certain I am that he had to be behind it all. I wonder how many other situations he engineered so that strategic people would be indebted to him.
Anyone else miss Edmond? I could like and sympathize with him. The Count – subsisting on opium and other drugs, completely unmoved by brutality and execution, manipulative, a slave-owner – is off-putting.
Oh, how boring – both the translation I'm listening to and the "annotated" one on my Kindle have it that the door made a mockery of the concierge. Rats. (I guess you get what you pay for – I paid $1.99 for an annotated digital CofMC, and the annotations are simply biographical notes about Dumas. Which is nice, but I was hoping more for things like, say, for these chapters, a definition of mazzolata and a bit of heraldry.)
I just came upon this site: http://www.shmoop.com/count-of-monte-... - chatty and YA, but still informative. "That last one sounds pretty crude and pretty cruel, yeah? Well, it is; but it's also highly ritualized and regulated. It's called la mazzolata. Derived from the Italian mazza – mace – what it comes down to is being beaten to death with a big club. And then some." Bring the kids!
The torture scene was rather gruesome. I think Dumas puts these scenes in to separate the Count from Edmond, to show us how he has hardened his heart against humanity and his enemies. It does not make him likeable. Kim and I talked about this at the end of the book, too. We'll see how you feel about the Count by the time the dust settles.

I still can't decide if the Count has really become cold and cruel, unmoved by the cruelty of the executions for example, or if he is putting on a show, playing a part.
I just read The Code of the Woosters, so Bertie is very fresh in my mind! I didn't mean to offend. (Bertie Wooster is one of the most "stupid" characters ever written, imo. I love him, but he's a bit dense.)
Chapter 39 ends with the count arriving for breakfast with Albert, Morel, Debray and Morcerf and others